Number One
by Five Minute Obsessions
Summary: Lily's moving away from Roscoe. Will she patch things up with Ray before she leaves? Doubtful.


**August 19th, 2007 Update: **It's been two years since I first posted "Number One" and I've moved through so many fandoms, sometimes writing for them, and most of the time... not. I've removed the Skye Sweetnam lyrics since songfics are no longer acceptable under guidelines. I've also done an overall cleanup of the fic. I probably could've taken this opportunity to rewrite the thing to fit in with everything that I've learned, but I decided I'd rather preserve it the way it is, to remind myself what kind of writer I was when I was thirteen. And to give myself a good laugh every now and then.

What gives me a personal gigglefit is my promise to write a chapter story... yeah, I _finally _got around to it.

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**Author's Note:** This is something I cooked up one Sunday morning while I listened to Skye Sweetnam's "Number One". I'm not a huge fan of hers, and I'd probably hate her if she wasn't tied to Radio Free Roscoe, but she's better then some crap you hear on the radio. Anyways, there's been a lot of bad hype towards Lily for acting like a bitch when Ray told her how he felt about her at the Mr. Roscoe Pageant, but I decided to turn things around. What's wrong with Ray for not seeing the only reason he likes Grace is because she's a photocopy of Lily? And, yes, it's another one-shot! No, I promise I'll do a chapter story... someday. 

**01/26/05 Update**: I made some minor spelling and grammar corrections because:

1. I'm a perfectionist.

2. One of my wonderful, WONDERFUL reviewers kindly pointed them out(I love you, I love you all, really I do! I'd like to send a big e-hug out to you all!)

3. Some of the errors were horrific. ("Here" instead of "hear"? AUGH!)

Remember kiddies, spellcheck is your best friend!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any legal rights to Radio Free Roscoe. The following is a fanwork written purely for entertainment purposes, and not for any monetary gain.

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Lily paced around her house nervously, checking her watch. Ray was five minutes late. It bothered her more then it usually would have. 

"Lily, sweetie, why are you so restless? If you keep pacing like that you'll wear a hole in the carpet!" her mother told her, passing by.

"Um, I'm just waiting for Ray to come over," Lily told her truthfully.

"Well, that boy's been over here a million times before. Why do you have the jitters now?" He mother cocked an eyebrow at her. Lily thought quickly.

"We've got this project that's due tomorrow, and it's worth a lot of our grade. I'm just worried he'll forget and I'll have to do it on my own," she lied. A truth and a lie. Maybe they balanced eachother out. She was actually nervous because he was coming over to her house for a study date. And that had the word "date" in it! Of course, Ray did have a girlfriend, but this was so much like a date because he and Lily were spending time together. And Grace didn't know, which made them like forbidden lovers. Maybe he'd realize that Lily loved him, and he loved her back, and he'd forget all about his girlfriend tonight.

Lily sat down on the sofa chair by the entranceway. Calm down, she told herself. If she was nervous she'd probably say something stupid, which would just make things awkward. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else, but the only thing that flashed in her mind was Ray. Come on, think about something else, anything else! she told herself angrily. Then another image popped into her mind. Grace.

She hated Grace. It wasn't so much she was Ray's girlfriend; it was that she was Ray's girlfriend was exactly like her. It was quite creepy how much they were alike; Grace was blonde, and so was Lily. She had long hair, and so did Lily. Grace would punch Ray in the arm, a privilege Ray had (up until now) given only to Lily. They laughed the same, talked the same, and after a while it had really tweaked Lily off. Was Ray so stupid he didn't realize the only reason he liked this girl was because she was just like her? It didn't matter, Lily told herself. He'd forget all about her soon enough.

She sat like that for a long time, looking at her watch. Five minutes turned into fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes turned into half an hour. Lily alternated pacing, sitting on the sofa, and snacking on the grapes her mother had put on the table. She looked at her watch yet again. It was seven o'clock.

"When did you say Ray was supposed to be here?" her mother asked her.

"An hour ago," Lily said glumly. She felt stupid. If this had been a real date, Ray wouldn't be late. Of course, she thought, he had only wanted to come over because he wanted his grades up and he didn't want to ask his girlfriend to study with him. That would be embarrassing. Grace's parents had been pestering her about dating a boy with a C average. Lily wondered what he was doing now. He was probably with Grace.

_He could have at least called_, she thought angrily, and just as it passed through her mind the phone rang. Lily jumped on it.

"Hello?" Before there was an answer from the other end, she heard a giggle in a familiar female voice. Her stomach dropped.

"Um, Lily, hey," Ray said. He sounded uncomfortable.

"Ray, where are you? What happened to our study date?" Lily fumed. Lily heard a crackle, and knew Ray had just put his hand over the reciever. But she could still hear what he was saying.

"Grace, just a minute... I'm on the phone."

"Oh, come on Ray, don't be such a spoilsport..."

Lily's cheeks reddened.

"Uh, yeah, about that," he said, speaking into the phone again. "I don't think I'll be able to make it. I'm kind of busy right now. I'm, um..." there was a pause as Ray tried to think up an excuse.

"Yeah, thanks Ray, I don't need any of your lies. I'm not stupid. I can figure out what you're 'busy' with all on my own," Lily told him angrily, and slammed down the phone. Her mother looked up from her magazine curiously at her, but didn't say anything, and Lily was grateful. There was a lump in her throat.

"Mom?"

"M-hmmn?"

"I think I'm going to go to sleep early," Lily said, trying to sound normal, but her voice cracked.

"Alright, dear," her mother said soothingly, knowing perfectly well no teenager went to sleep as early as seven, but was smart enough not to bother her. Lily dashed up the stairs to her room, flung herself on her bed, and cried. Sobbing into her pillow, Lily felt angry, betrayed, and stupid to believe Ray cared about her.

* * *

Lily woke up feeling like she was walking on legs made of jelly. She washed her face, realizing her eyes were bloodshot from crying for hours last night, fixed her hair, and put on her makeup to take attention away from her red eyes. When she came downstairs her father had already left for work, leaving her mom the only one at the table, sitting and drinking coffee. "How are you feeling?" she asked tenderly. 

Lily sighed. There was no use lying now. "Like crap."

Her mother peered up at her. "Did you think things over last night?" Lily nodded.

"I want out of Roscoe." Lily's voice cracked as she said it, and she felt hot tears stream down her cheeks again. Her mother got up and walked over to her, giving her only daughter a squeeze.

Her father had been transferred, but her parents had both agreed that it would be unfair to rip Lily away from the place she had grown up in. Her father had been willing to stay in Roscoe so Lily could be with her friends, but Lily didn't see the point anymore. Her love for one of her best friends had been shattered, and while Robbie and Travis were important to her, they weren't enough to keep her there._ If Ray's forgotten about me_, Lily thought bitterly, _Robbie and Travis will be next_. She knew all about Robbie's girlfriend, Kim, and Travis had just started showing an interest in her best friend Parker. Soon they'd both have no use for her. Just like Ray.

"Have you told your friends yet?" her mother whispered, still holding Lily as the tears came down. Lily sniffled.

"Robbie and Travis." Ray had been absent every time she had tried to talk to him. And she given up on him quickly.

The moving truck came later the next day (Saturday), in the afternoon. Robbie and Travis showed upon her sidewalk looking forlorn, and the three of them sat on the steps to her porch having a quiet goodbye.

"I still can't believe that you're leaving," Robbie said softly. Lily laid her head on his shoulder silently and closed her eyes. She wasen't crying. She felt that she might, but she wasn't crying.

"So you didn't tell Ray?" Travis asked. Lily shook her head, her eyes still closed. She reached out and took Travis' hand. Maybe Travis could have replaced Ray, she though silently. Maybe Robbie could have, too. Now she'd never know. But she didn't feel upset about not knowing. One day, she'd forget them both, and they'd forget her. The hole in her heart would heal, and she'd move on.

Travis squeezed her hand gently and Lily's eyelids fluttered open. Beside the moving van, standing on the sidewalk, was Ray, clutching the hand of his photocopied girlfriend. There was look of slight horror on his face, as his eyes flickered from Lily sandwiched between Travis and Robbie, to the moving van. Grace was biting her bottom lip. 

Lily rose silently, dropping Travis's hand, and strode over briskly to Ray. Travis and Robbie drifted after her, like two puppy dogs, unsure of where their loyalties lay.

"Lily!" Ray exclaimed, alarmed. "What's... what's this van doing in front of your house? Are you...?" Lily looked at him steadily, gazing at him in a silent, defiant "yes". Ray grew angry. "Well, why didn't you tell me?!"

"You were busy with someone else," Lily said lazily, shrugging. "It's a little bit hard to talk to you when you're with her." Her eyes didn't even pass over Grace. Lily was talking about her like she wasn't there, but Grace was completely silently. Lily didn't even care anymore.

"Oh, come on! I can't believe you didn't tell me you were moving just because you're jealous!" Ray was practically shouting now. "You know Lily, I think you've really changed from the girl I thought you were."

Lily continued to look at him steadily. "I don't think I'm the only one." They were both silent. The anger gone from Ray's face, he seemed to stand there uselessly, helpless, still clutching his girlfriend's hand.

"Maybe you should just say goodbye to her, Ray," Grace said quietly, suprising them both. Lily looked at him expectantly.

"Well, goodbye then," Ray said stiffly, talking as if there were sand in his mouth. Lily waited, hoping to hear more. Maybe something like, "I'll miss you," or, "I'll remember you forever." Or maybe a hug. But nothing came. Ray just stood there, looking upset and helpless, holding Grace's hand. Lily sighed, disappointed. Her father came down the driveway just then. He put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Lily, it's time to go now," he said gently. "All the stuff's been moved into the van. Your mother's waiting in the car. You have to say goodbye." Lily looked up at her father and smiled.

"Thanks, daddy. Can you give us a minute?" He nodded silently and left to join her mother. Lily turned her attention back to her friends. She faced Robbie first.

"Robbie, you've been a better friend then a girl could ever wish for. I'm going to miss you." She hugged him, clutching him like she'd never let him go. Robbie hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

"You'll call, right?" he asked her, smiling.

"Of course!" Lily exclaimed, her voice wracked with a sob, but she managed to hold back her tears. "Every day!" she added. She slipped out of Robbie's grasp and he let her go reluctantly. "Good luck with Kim!" she whispered too loudly in his ear, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Travis looked a little curious overhearing, but didn't say anything.

"Travis?" Lily said, turning to him. He swallowed.

"I... I don't know what to say. You've been an amazing friend and you've helped me so much and thanks for... for everything." Lily smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. She expected him to say something else, a Buddha quote or something wise of the like. But Travis was silent.

"Take care of Parker for me," she instructed him, and pecked him on the cheek. Travis nodded, and he looked like he was about to cry. But, Lily reasoned, boys don't cry. Finally she turned to face Ray.

"Ray," she said. Ray didn't say anything. He looked like he didn't know what to say. And neither did Lily, when she gazed at him standing there, holding Grace's hand and not realizing. Not realizing there was only one reason why he loved Grace, not realizing that Lily loved him so much it hurt, not realizing this was his last chance to say goodbye and make everything right. But it wasn't any of these things that bothered Lily as much as how he'd been holding Grace's hand. He hadn't let go since she first saw him. She wanted to do something to make him drop it; to break them apart. So she didn't say anything. She just hugged Ray, and yes, he finally dropped Grace's hand to hug her back. Lily stayed wrapped in his arms for the longest time, trying to memorize everything about this moment. The soft, fuzzy feeling of his dark-dark-blue sweater, the smell of Ray's cologne. She didn't bother trying to memorize his face; that was already locked in her memory, where she was quite sure it would stay until the end of time. When she finally pulled away, she searched his face, not really sure what she was looking for, but whatever it was she didn't find it. It was just Ray, standing there and not realizing.

She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but somehow she changed her mind, and her lips brushed his instead. With Grace right beside him, too! A look of horror flashed on Grace's face before she went red. To make matters worse, Ray didn't let go, holding onto the kiss he'd always wanted but never gotten before now. It was probably her parents honking the horn of their car that broke the moment. Lily pulled away, grinning, satisfied, and a little bit defiant when she saw the look on Grace's face.

"Bye, guys!" she said happily, waving at the three of them as if nothing had happened (Robbie and Travis were now smirking as well), before bounding off for the car. Ray just stood there, stunned.

Lily felt happier then she thought she should have when he parents pulled out of the driveway. One day Ray would remember her and regret everything he'd done. And as for Robbie and Travis... she had a feeling she'd see then again. To her parent's protests, Lily climbed on top of her chair and stuck herself out the sunroof, waving and calling to her friends. Robbie and Travis chased after the car, shouting goodbyes and cheering, making the neighbors stick their heads out of their windows so everyone knew Lily Randall was leaving. They went on like that, calling and cheering to each other until Robbie and Travis became too tired to go on. Lily plopped back in her seat, ignoring her parents and grinning madly.


End file.
